Stargate Deadly Encounter part 6

by DanielJackson56

In the next 5 chapters, Qetesh and her Jaffas begin their assault on the the SGC. Hammond enlists the aid of John and his team from the SGA to help fight the Goa'uld. Later a strange ship from the future suddenly appears, and aids our heroes.

Chapter 31

After Lothar is beamed up to the Asgard ship, Jack makes the decision to take the children to the SGC for safety.

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Jack came to a sudden halt as he briefly shielded his eyes from the bright glare of the light. The last thing he saw was Lothar standing there, looking at him, and then the bright flash, and she was gone. He looked up just in time, to catch a faint glimpse of an Asgard ship in the sky. It was fairly high but he could see it against the moonlit night.

In some ways, he felt relieved that she hadn't been taken by Qetesh, but was confused as to why the Asgards had taken her. He stood there staring up into the sky, as he watched the huge ship disappear. Tears filled his eyes as he kept staring at the sky. "Keep her safe," he whispered. He wiped the tears from his eyes, then turned, and walked back into the house.

He shut the door and locked it, then walked back to the bedroom. He saw the bracelet on the nightstand, and picked it up. He turned on the light, and studied the bracelet. There was an inscription on the inside. He sat down on the side of the bed, and looked closely at the inscription. He saw some initials on the inside. JES. The initials of their children, Jona, Evan and Serena. He quietly sighed. This was going to be hard trying to explain to the children where their mother had gone. He knew they wouldn't understand. For that matter, he didn't quite understand it either. He just hoped that she was safe and that they would bring her back. He sighed once more, then put the bracelet on the nightstand. He turned off the light, then climbed into bed. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day. The first thing he was going to do was call Hammond and tell him what happened. Then he would call Sam, Daniel and Teal'c. He had to find out why the Asgards took Lothar. There must have been some reason why they took her, and he was determined to find out.

Back on the Asgard ship, Lothar looked around surprised and saw a little gray figure walk up to her. She recognized that figure as an Asgard. Jack had described them once to her. "Thor?" she asked carefully.

The little guy blinked. "Greetings, Lothar," he said. "I am Thor, commander of this ship."

"Why did you beam me up?" Now she had recovered from the first shock of being beamed up, she was curious, why they haddone it.

"Major Carter has contacted us. She told me, what happened and who you really are," Thor answered her question.

Lothar was shocked. More people knew about her true identity. That was not a good sign. "How did she find out?" she wanted to know.

Thor blinked his big round and dark eyes once more. "Dr. Fraiser had found out that the symbiote you are carrying, is the same one Mrs. O'Neill has."

Lothar looked at him. "After her death they could have given that symbiote to someone else," she replied.

But Thor only shook his head. "Your blood type and DNA matches that from Mrs. O'Neill. There is no doubt about that. They knew you would be in danger again, certainly after Ba'al's attack this night. You will stay on board until the danger is over. It is good, that Earth falls under the protection of the Asgards now. We can help defeat Ba'al and save Earth. Then you may return to Colonel O'Neill once more."

Lothar stood stunned when she heard Thor's explanation. Yes, it all made sense, she thought. I shouldn't have come back. I've put everyone and everything I ever loved in danger. She shook her head. "If this is all over, Thor, thenplease bring me to some planet, where I can live in peace."

"As you wish." Then he turned and left her behind in the room, where she had beamed up to. She looked around and saw a bed, a table, and a chair. And that's it. She hoped she wouldn't have to stay long.

All night long, Jack barely got any sleep. This had been one of the worse nights that he could remember. And it all had to do with Goa'ulds. Specifically Ba'al, and his queen Qetesh. In his mind, Jack vowed that he would kill Ba'al and Qetesh so that they would never harm Earth, or his family ever again. He had made a good attempt at trying to kill Ba'al, but he had a feeling that Ba'al would make a quick recovery. He just hoped that this time, that snakehead didn't escape.

Now that Ba'al was in custody once again, Jack was still finding it hard, to sleep. His thoughts kept going back to Sha're. He loved her and wanted her back. His heart ached at the thought of not having her there with him. He closed his eyes and tried to think of a good explanation for the children as to why Sha're had suddenly disappeared. He imagined the looks on their faces as he tried to tell them she was gone, and felt sad. He sighed heavily, and wiped the tears from his eyes.

As he tried to sleep, the events of the night played over in his mind. He tried to tell Sha're that they could work through her identity, but she was so wracked with guilt from causing so much trouble, that she wouldn't listen. He guessed if he were in her place he would feel the same way. And yet, he felt that it was his responsibility to keep her and the children safe, not Sha're's. She didn't have to leave. She could have stayed, and he would have done everything he could to keep them safe.

He briefly opened his eyes and looked at the clock. It was almost four thirty A.M. Sleep wasn't coming easy. He finally forced himself to close his eyes, and cleared his mind of the events of that night. At least he could take comfort in the fact that Sha're was safe with the Asgards. Maybe that was their intention when they beamed her up. In any case, he would find out when he returned to the SGC.

Luckily the next day was Sunday. Jack allowed himself a few more hours of sleep, before he would get up and make breakfast for the children. In just a few brief hours, he had managed to get at least four or five hours of quality sleep. He wondered if Sha're had been able to sleep aboard the Asgard ship. The last time they had beamed him aboard, he didn't see any sleeping quarters. For that matter, he didn't really see any quarters at all. But he was sure that Thor would provide some kind of comfort for Sha're knowing that she was human.

He had just rolled over on his back, and was still asleep, when he heard his cell phone ringing on the dresser where he had left it that night with his wallet, and spare change. He didn't really want to answer it, but something inside him told him that this call might be important. He let out a tired groan, and opened his eyes. He looked at the digital clock on the table by the bed. It was eight a.m. He slowly sat up, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, then swung his legs over the bed, and got up. He managed to get to the phone on the third ring, then opened it up, and punched a button to answer it.

"O'Neill," he answered in his usual gruff voice he used before he had his coffee.

"Jack, its Sam. Did I wake you up?" she asked as she noticed his gruff tone.

Jack cleared his throat, then answered. "It's ok. I have to get up anyway," he replied.

Sam sighed. She could sense the tiredness in his voice. She knew about his insomnia, and worried about him not getting any sleep. She hated calling and waking him up, but this was urgent and she needed to give him this information. "Are you all right?" she asked with concern.

Jack sighed. "I'm fine, Sam. What's up?" he asked trying to ease her concern.

"You don't sound fine. In fact, you sound terrible. Would you like me to come over?" she asked. She was worried. She never liked it when her good friend and former CO was not his best.

Jack sighed once more. "I'm ok, Sam. I just had a bad night, that's all," he explained. He didn't feel like going into detail. It was just too painful. "And no, you don't have to come over. I'll be all right," he assured. "What do you want?" he asked.

Sam quietly sighed. It was obvious that Jack wasn't going to tell her what was wrong. She could sense something was bothering him, but she decided not to press the issue. "I just called to tell you that Hammond called me this morning, and said that their radar had picked up an alien space craft in the vicinity of your house last night. Walter contacted him, and said he thinks it was an Asgard ship. I'm at the SGC, and I checked the data and..." She was about to finish her report when Jack cut her off.

"Walter was right. It was an Asgard," he confirmed.

Sam fell silent for a moment. It was obvious that was the reason for Jack not feeling quite himself. She felt guilty for telling the Asgards about Sha're without telling Jack, but she knew it was the only way, to keep her safe.

Jack sensed something wrong when he noticed the long pause. "Sam? You there?" he asked with concern.

Sam slightly blinked. "Yes. I'm here. Jack...it's my fault Sha're is gone. Janet finished the results of her blood test on Sha're, and it confirmed her identity. We couldn't take any chances on Ba'al finding her again, so I contacted the Asgards and asked them to beam her up to keep her safe," she explained.

Jack walked over and sat on the bed. He felt angry with Sam for not telling him sooner, but at least he knew that Sha're was safe. But not before Ba'al had tried to take their son. "You're just a few hours too late, Sam. Ba'al was here. He escaped from the SGC and came here last night, and tried to take Evan, but I shot him before he could get away. Colonel Reynolds and his men came and took Ba'al back to the SGC," he stated.

Sam was shocked to learn of Ba'al's attempt to kidnap Jack's and Sha're's son, but was glad that his attempt was unsuccessful. "Glad to hear that Jack. Hammond told me about Ba'al. They have him in titanium restraints and behind an electric force field, not to mention they doubled up on the guards as well," she informed.

Jack nodded. "Well, that should do it," he stated and briefly smiled. He thought about Sha're and sighed. "Sam...thank you for letting me know about Sha're," he said in earnest.

Sam felt her guilt returning. "Jack...I'm really sorry..." she tried to apologize.

Jack briefly smiled. "Sam, it's all right. You don't have to apologize. I'm just glad she's safe," he replied in earnest.

Sam sighed. She still felt guilty, but was glad that Jack wasn't angry. "I am too," she agreed. She happened to think of what the Asgards had promised and smiled. "By the way, I just thought you should know, that along with saving Sha're, the Asgards have promised to help us fight Ba'al and his fleet," she stated.

Jack was glad to hear that and smiled. "Well, it's good to know that we have some backup. It's about time. They owe us for saving their little gray bums so many times," he stated in his usual snarky tone.

Sam chuckled. "You're right, they do," she agreed. She glanced at her watch. "I'm meeting Daniel and Teal'c at the SGC. We thought we'd go over some plans for our defense against Qetesh. We could really use your help," she said a bit hopeful.

Jack nodded. "Oh yes. I'd be more than happy. The sooner we get rid of those Goa'ulds, the better," he stated in a determined tone.

Sam smiled. "Good. I'll let them know you're coming," she replied.

Jack nodded. "Thanks. See you in a few hours," he replied. They finished their, talk, then said good-bye. As he hung up, he happened to hear Serena crying in her sleep. It was obvious, that it was the result of all the things, that had happened that night. He put his phone back on his dresser, then went to Serena's room. As he walked into her room, he could see the tears rolling down her cheeks. "Mommy...mommy...don't go...don't go..."she whimpered.

Jack walked over and sat down on her bed. He picked her up, and held her in his arms. "It's ok baby...daddy's here," he said as he kissed her cheek and rubbed her back. He felt as sad as she did, knowing that Sha're couldn't be here to calm her daughter's fears.

Serena opened her eyes, and rubbed them with her small fists. She snuggled against her father's chest, and sniffed. "Where's mommy? I want mommy," she whimpered.

Jack gave his little daughter and a hug, and sighed. "Mommy isn't here right now. But don't worry. She'll be back," he promised. He was saying that more for himself than for Serena, hoping that was true.

Serena looked up at her father with sad brown eyes. "Where mommy go?" she asked.

Jack thought for a moment, then finally answered. "Mommy had some things she had to do at her home before the wedding, but she told me that she would be back soon. She also wanted me to tell you that she loved you very much," he assured her.

Serena nodded. "Pwomise?" she asked.

Jack nodded. "I promise," he replied in earnest. He kissed her cheek, then gave her a hug. He looked at her and smiled. "Let's go to the bathroom, then I'll fix you and the boys some pancakes. Would you like that?" he asked.

Serena nodded and smiled. "Yeah!" she replied.

Jack smiled. He stood up from the bed with his daughter in his arms, then carried her to the bathroom. He helped her take off her panties, then sat her on her little potty chair. He had to relieve himself too, and looked at Serena. "Daddy has to use the potty too, so you stay right there, and I'll be right back," he assured.

"Ok daddy," she replied.

Jack nodded, then went to the bathroom that was just off the bedroom. He quickly relieved himself, then flushed the toilet. He washed his hands and dried them, then walked back to the bathroom where Serena was.

As he walked into the bathroom, Serena looked up at him and smiled. "I all finished daddy," she stated.

Jack nodded, then helped his little daughter off the potty. He cleaned her off, then helped her with her panties. He lifted her up to the sink and helped her wash her hands and dry them. When they were finished, he carried her into the living room and sat her on the couch. He picked up the remote and turned on some cartoons for Serena. "There. You just watch some cartoons while I fix the pancakes," he assured. Serena put her thumb in her mouth, then sat, and watched her cartoons.

While Serena watched her cartoons, Jack got out his griddle, pancake mix, milk, eggs, butter and bowl, and started putting together all his ingredients for his pancakes. When he was finished mixing up his batter, he plugged in his griddle, then put a small amount of oil on the griddle. When the griddle was hot, he started pouring on the batter to make the pancakes.

As he made his pancakes, he heard Jona and Evan walking into the living room. They saw Serena watching cartoons, then climbed on the couch with their sister, and started watching cartoons. "Good-morning guys! I'm making some pancakes. I hope you're hungry," he said trying to sound cheerful.

Jona and Evan smiled. "Oh boy! Pancakes!" they said.

They looked around the room, and didn't see Lothar. They thought it was strange that she wasn't there. They looked at one another, then Jona hopped off of the couch, and walked into the kitchen where his father was making pancakes. He looked up at him with curiosity. "Daddy, where's Wofar? We don't see her," he stated and frowned.

Jack sighed, and flipped over some pancakes that were finished cooking on one side. He briefly looked at Jona. "Lothar isn't here right now. She had to take care of some things at her house before the wedding. But she promised that she would be back when she got finished," he assured.

Jona studied his father for a moment, then nodded. "Why did she have to leave?" he asked.

Jack quietly sighed. "I guess she thought that it was important. But don't worry. She'll be back. I promise," he assured.

Jona nodded. "Ok. I hope she comes back soon. I miss her," he replied a little sad.

Jack nodded. "I know, so do I," he replied. More than you'll ever know. He thought to himself.

Jona sighed, then walked back to the living room, and climbed back on the couch. Jack slightly blinked trying not to think about Sha're, then finished fixing his pancakes. He finally had enough pancakes made for everyone and had put them on a plate. He turned off his griddle, then took his plate of pancakes to the table. He returned to the kitchen, and got out some plates, utensils, napkins, and glasses. He quickly set the table, then got out some milk and orange juice, and set that on the table too. He got the pancake syrup, and set that on the table. He walked into the living room, and looked at his children sitting on the couch. "Ok kids. Time for breakfast," he informed. The three children hopped off the couch, and hurried to the table.

Since Serena was the smallest, Jack always kept a booster seat in a chair for her. He helped her into the booster seat, then made sure she was buckled in. They stared at the pancakes and smiled. "Wow pancakes!" said Jona and Evan. "Pancakes!" Serena chimed in. Jack put a pancake on Serena's plate, then put two on Jona's and Evan's plate. He knew they could eat more than Serena. He sat down and took a couple for himself. He helped Serena with her pancake, as he put some syrup on it and cut it up for her. He put some syrup on his pancakes, then put the syrup in front of Jona and Evan. He looked at them and smiled. "Ok guys, don't fight over the syrup," he reminded. The boys nodded, and shared the syrup. Jack poured everyone some juice and milk, then started eating his pancakes.

While they ate, Jack hoped that the Asgards had fixed Sha're something to eat. He hoped that they didn't give her some strange alien food that she didn't like.

Evan looked up from his plate and wiped his mouth. "Dad...when is mommy coming home?" he asked looking at his father with eyes filled with hope.

Jack wiped his mouth, and sighed. "I don't know, Evan. But I hope it's soon," he replied.

Evan nodded. "Me too," he replied.

Jack looked at his children and sighed. He could sense that they were feeling anxious about Sha're not being there, and missed her as well. "Listen, do you remember how it was before Lothar came to our house? We never had any problems, right? We're a team, and we do everything together. We'll be ok," he assured. He thought for a moment. "Remember when I used to tell you stories about how I used to go on special missions to protect our planet?" he asked.

Jona, and Evan nodded. Jack looked at them and sighed. "Well, right now, Lothar is on a special mission too. But her mission is different. She has to be away for awhile, so that you boys and Serena will be safe. And I have to go on a mission too. I have to make sure that some very bad people, who are very close to earth, don't hurt you and Lothar. Me, Sam, Daniel and Teal'c are going on this mission, and when it's over, maybe Lothar can come home, and we'll be together again," he explained. He wasn't sure if they understood what he said, but at least he knew they were listening.

Jona looked at his father with concern. "Will you be gone a long time?" he asked.

Jack thought for a moment. "Maybe. But some really nice people are going to help us with our mission, and hopefully I won't have to be gone very long," he replied.

Evan looked worried. "Will somebody take care of us when you go on your mission?" he asked.

Jack nodded. "Yes. In fact, I'm going to take you to a very special place where there are some very nice people. They will take care of you while I go on this mission. And you'll even get to talk to me while I'm away. They have special radios there, and I will always be able to talk to you wherever I am," he explained and smiled.

The two boys looked at one another and smiled then looked at Jack. "Cool!" they replied. "Cool!" added Serena.

Jack wiped a speck of pancake from Serena's mouth, and smiled. "Yes it is. Very cool!" he agreed. After a few minutes, they finally finished their breakfast. Jack looked at the children and smiled. "Ok team, here's the plan...we're going to get dressed, then I'm going to pack your clothes for your trip to this really cool place I'm going to take you. You can even take some toys and some of your movies. You can even have your own room," he stated and smiled.

Jona and Evan smiled. "Oh Boy!" they said excited. Serena looked at her dad. "Can I take Saywa?" she asked.

Jack nodded and smiled. "You sure can," he replied. Jack got up and helped Serena down from her chair. She went to her room, and got her doll, then came back and climbed on the couch. Jack and the boys cleaned off the table, and loaded the dishwasher, then Jack washed up his griddle, and put it away.

When they were finished, he took the children into the big bathroom that was near the master bedroom, and helped them get their shower, and wash their hair. He got them dried off, then took them to their rooms, and got them dressed for the day.

When the children were dressed, Jack instructed them to sit on the couch while he showered and got dressed. They did as they were told, then Jack collected his clothes and left to take his shower. He quickly showered, and washed his hair, then got out and dried off. He put his underpants on then went to his sink and shaved. A few minutes later, he finished shaving. He cleaned off his face, then put on the rest of his clothes, and combed his hair. He got out a large suitcase and packed all the children's clothes, and some of their toys. He didn't have to pack any clothes for himself. He would be wearing his SG uniform once he got to the base. He even packed some small blankets for Serena and the boys so they would feel at home.

He carried the suitcase to the living room, and looked at the children. "Ok kids. Everything is packed. If you want to take any of your movies, let me know," he said.

Serena and the boys immediately picked out their favorite movies from the shelf, and handed them to their father. Jack opened up the suit case and put the movies inside, then closed the suitcase. He got out their coats from the closet, in case of bad weather and laid them on the suitcase. He made sure the house was locked up, then sighed. "Ok team, let's move out!" he said. Jack turned off the TV, then made sure the rest of the lights were off. The children hopped off the couch then followed their father out of the house.

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End of Chapter 31

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Chapter 32

Once Jack and the children are at the SGC, Jack tells Hammond about Lothar's real identity. Now that Qetesh is a threat, Hammond decides to contact Stargate Atlantis and ask them for help in defeating the Goa'ulds.

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They went to the car, then Jack helped them into the car and helped them into their car seats. When he had them secured in their car seats, he went back to the house, and locked the door. He returned to the car, then got in, and put on his seatbelt. He shut the door, then put in the car key, and started the car. He backed out of the driveway, then turned the car around, and headed to the SGC.

An hour later, Jack finally arrived at the SGC. He parked his car in one of the parking spots under the mountain, then helped the children out of the car. He took out their suitcase, and then he and children walked to the elevator. As he approached the elevator, he took out his card key, and slid it in the slot by the elevator door. Soon the doors slid open then he and the children stepped into the elevator car. As the doors closed, Jona, Evan, and Serena huddled close to Jack. They didn't know what to make of all this, and were a little frightened by what was going on. Jack punched a number on the keypad, then looked at his children as he noticed how anxious they looked. "It's ok. We're just going for a little ride. It won't be long," he assured.

Jona looked up at his father. "Where we goin' dad?" he asked.

Jack looked at Jona. "We're going to see Daniel, Sam, and Teal'c. You remember them, don't you?" he replied.

Jona nodded. He pointed to his forehead. "Is Teal'c the one with the gold thing on his head?" he asked curious.

Jack nodded. "Yep, that's him all right. He's had that mark for a long time. It means he's a very important person," he explained.

Jona nodded. "Cool! Maybe he could give us one of those too," he stated and smiled.

Jack shook his head. "I don't think so. Teal'c is from somewhere far away, and only the people where he lives are allowed to have those special marks," he explained.

Jona nodded. "Aw, too bad. But it's still cool," he replied and smiled.

Jack nodded. "Very," he replied. A few minutes later they finally arrived on the main floor. As the doors opened, Jack and the children stepped out of the elevator. Jack looked at his children. "Ok kids, let's hold hands. This is a big place, and you might get lost," he cautioned. The children held each other's hands, and followed their father down the long hallway to Jack's quarters. As they walked down the hallway, they happened to see Teal'c rounding a corner.

Jona pointed and smiled. "Look dad, it's Teal'c!" he said excited.

Teal'c saw the young children, and walked up to them and Jack. He paused and bowed to them. "Greetings O'Neill," he greeted. He knelt down in front of the children, then held out his hand, and smiled. "Greetings young O'Neills," he greeted. Serena was a little shy and hid behind Jack's legs, but Jona and Evan shook Teal'c's hand. "Gweetings," they replied.

Teal'c noticed Serena and smiled. "Do not be afraid. I will not harm you," he assured

Jack nodded. "Yes. He's harmless. He's a pussycat," he assured his little daughter.

Teal'c looked at Jack curious. "I am a Jaffa, not an animal," he clarified.

Jack chuckled. "I was just joking T," he replied.

Teal'c nodded. "I see," he replied. He looked at Serena. "I am Teal'c. What is your name?" he asked.

Serena peeked out from around her father's legs, and smiled "Seweena" she replied a bit shy.

Teal'c nodded. "That is a pretty name," he replied. He shook the boys hands, then stood up, and looked at Jack. "Do you need assistance O'Neill?" he asked.

Jack handed him the suitcase, then picked up Serena in his arms, "Thanks. I could always use an extra hand," he replied.

Teal'c took the suitcase, then smiled. "Where to?" he asked.

Jack sighed. "We were on our way to my quarters," he said.

Teal'c nodded. "Very well, I will be glad to assist you," he replied.

Jack nodded, then he and Teal'c went to Jack's quarters.

When they moved on to Jack's quarters, they approached Sam and Daniel. "Morning Jack," Daniel greeted his friend. "Hey Daniel, Sam" Jack's answered.

"Good morning sir, we were just on our way to see General Hammond," Sam informed him. "There was a lot of movement in space. It seems that not only Thor's ship is in orbit at this moment."

Jack briefly frowned. "That doesn't sound good. What has the radar picked up so far?" he asked.

"A Goa'uld mothership, but no sign of a fleet following. Either they are cloaked or Ba'al was bluffing about that entire fleet," Daniel informed him.

Jack thought for a moment. "Well, let's not take any chances. He could be bluffing and maybe he's not. And you could be right about those Goa'ulds cloaking their ships. They have fooled us before, so let's stay alert," he stated.

Evan looked at his father. "Dad, what's a Goa'uld? And who is Ba'al?" he asked curious. Jona nodded. "Yeah, who's Ba'al?" he added.

Jack looked at the boys. "Goa'ulds are very bad people and so is Ba'al. You're better off not knowing about them," he stated in a firm tone.

The two boys nodded. Serena got worried. "They won't hurt us will they," she asked.

Jack kissed her cheek, and shook his head. "Don't worry. You're safe here. I won't let them hurt you," he assured.

Serena hugged her father's neck, then looked at him. "I'm scared daddy," she said anxious.

Jack gave her a hug. "Don't worry baby. There's nothing to be afraid of. Teal'c, Daniel, and Sam are our friends. They won't let anything happen to you. We have lots of friends here, and they won't let anything happen to you, Jona or Evan. You're going to be all right," he assured.

Serena gave him an anxious look. "Pwomise?" she asked.

Jack nodded. "I promise," he assured.

Serena nodded. "Ok," she replied.

Jack set Serena on her feet, then kneeled down and looked at her and the boys. "Listen, my friends and I have to go to a very important meeting, so you kids have to stay in my room until I get back. But don't worry. I'll get someone to stay with you until I get back," he stated.

Immediately Sam walked over to a phone on the wall, and contacted a female SF Guard. Within minutes a very pretty tall brown-haired young woman dressed in camouflage, wearing a black beret arrived in the hallway. Sam looked at her and smiled. She gestured to Jack's children. "Thank you for coming Lieutenant. These are Colonel O'Neill's children. We'd appreciate it if you would take care of them while we attend our meeting," she stated.

The young Lieutenant looked at the children and smiled. "It would be my pleasure, Major," she assured.

Jack gestured to the Lieutenant, and smiled. "See, what did I tell you. Don't worry. This very nice young woman will take care of you. And if you need anything, you just let her know, and she will get you anything you want," he assured.

Jona and Evan looked at one another and smiled. "Anything?" asked Jona.

Jack nodded. "Anything you want," he stated.

The two boys smiled. They thought for a moment, then looked at their father. "We're hungry. Can we get something to eat?" Evan asked. Serena nodded. "I hungwy too daddy," she said.

Jack nodded. "Sure. This young woman will be glad to take you to get something to eat," he assured. He looked at his watch and noticed that it was almost lunch time. He looked up at the young woman. "Take them to the commissary, and let them have whatever they want...within reason," he stated.

Jona looked at his father. "Can we have pizza?" he asked.

Jack nodded. "Sure. Pizza is fine," he said.

The children smiled. "Oh boy!" the boys said excited.

Jack gathered his children in his arms and gave them a hug and kissed them on their cheeks. "You be good, and don't give the Lieutenant any trouble. She'll be keeping an eye on you," he said in earnest.

Evan nodded. "Don't worry daddy. We'll be good," he promised.

Jack nodded. "I'm counting on it. And take care of your sister," he stated.

The two boys nodded. "We will," they promised.

Jack stood up, and looked at the young woman. "Thank you for watching them. I'll be back as soon as possible," he said.

The young Lieutenant nodded. "Don't worry sir. They're in good hands," she assured.

Jack nodded. "I know they are," he replied. He took the suitcase from Teal'c, then opened the door to his quarters, and put the suitcase in the room. He closed the door, then looked at his children. "Don't worry. I'll be back soon. And maybe if you're good, Daniel will let you play some games on his computer," he said and winked to Daniel.

Daniel looked at the children and smiled. "Sure. Why not," he replied.

The children looked at Daniel and smiled.

Jack looked at his children and smiled "Have fun, and see you later," he parted.

The children nodded. Jona looked at the young Lieutenant with curiosity. "What's your name?" he asked.

The young woman looked at him and smiled. "You can call me Tracy," she said.

Jona nodded. "Twacy! My name is Jona," he introduced himself. He pointed to Evan and Serena. "Dats my brother Evan, and my little sister Serena," he introduced.

Tracy looked at them and smiled. "It's very nice to meet you," she replied. She looked at them and smiled. "Ok kids. Let's go get some pizza," she said. She took Serena's hand, and motioned for the boys to follow. "This way guys," she informed. The boys nodded then Tracy and the children walked down the long hallway in the direction of the commissary.

Jack watched the children leave and sighed. For now he felt a huge weight being lifted from his shoulders, knowing that the children were in good hands. Now he had an even bigger burden to bear. The state of the planet was in danger, and he and his friends had to find a way to save it.

As the former SG1 team walked into the briefing room, General George Hammond stood at the head of the table waiting for them to sit down. "Welcome back people. I never thought there would be a time when we would need you back, but as you know, things change. And it looks as if things are pretty bad. It looks like I called you back just in time," he stated.

He gestured for the group to sit down. They walked over to their usual places, then waited for Hammond to sit down. After Hammond was seated, they sat down too. After they were seated, Jack looked at his commander, and smiled. "I can't speak for the others sir, but personally I'm glad to be back. After that incident with Ba'al, I have a feeling that those Goa'ulds are not about to give up. I'm ready to do my part to help save our planet, sir," he stated.

Hammond nodded and smiled. "Glad to have you back Jack. And I know I can count on you and the others to help us in our fight," he stated.

"Sir," Sam started. "We all will do what we can, to protect Earth. I had contact with the Asgard and Thor has promised to help us. I also have asked him to beam up Lothar," she confessed to General Hammond.

Hammond looked at her confused. "May I ask why, Major?" he asked.

"Sir, if I may," Jack said before Sam could go on. "There is something you need to know, but it has to stay between these walls."

"Let's hear it, Jack," the General said.

Jack nodded. For a moment he was searching for the right words, how to tell Hammond about Lothar. Then he looked at the older man. "Sir, Lothar is in fact... well she's not the person you think she is," he said. Damn, this is going to be harder than I thought, he thought to himself. Helpless he looked at Sam.

"I understand," she said quietly. Then she turned to Hammond. "Sir, what the Colonel wants to say is... Lothar is in fact Sha're... When she was here, after she was shot, Janet took a DNA sample and she found out that her DNA matches with Sha're's. Also the symbiote she's carrying, is the same."

Hammond looked at Jack, then at Sam and back again at Jack. "Is that true?" he asked him.

"Yes, General," Jack confirmed. "I also saw her tattoo and the birthmark she has on her back and hip. She definitely is Sha're."

Hammond nodded, but could hardly believe that this was really happening.

"Not to mention, that Sha're gave birth to Ba'al's son 4 or 5 years ago," Jack continued. "And that is the reason, why he is here. He wants his son... and probably also the mother of his son." Jack ended his story.

For a moment, Hammond was shocked. "You mean to tell me that's why Ba'al and Qetesh are threatening to destroy Earth, because of your son?" he asked in disbelief.

Jack nodded. "Yes sir. But I'm not about to give in to their threats. I'll defend Earth with my life if I have to sir, but those snakeheads aren't getting my son," he stated in defense.

Hammond nodded and sighed. "I understand your feelings Colonel. But the fact remains that due to your son, Earth is in jeopardy. However, as Major Carter said, we have the backing of the Asgards, so hopefully we can save our planet," he stated.

Jack nodded. "Yes sir. And you know yourself the Asgards owe us one. We've saved their lives several times, so it's their turn to return the favor," he stated.

Hammond nodded. "I agree. We need all the help we can get, this time," he stated.

Suddenly the base alarm sounded. "Incoming wormhole!" Walter's voice came through the intercom.

They all stood up and rushed to the control room. "Close the iris!" Hammond ordered. "Do we expect teams back?"

"No sir," the technician answered. "But we're receiving a transmission, audio and video."

Hammond looked at Walter. "What now! Ok Sergeant. Whoever it is, go ahead and patch it through. I'm curious to find out who's trying to contact us," he stated.

Jack and the others nodded. "Yes sir," replied the technician. Walter typed in a few commands on the keyboard, and made a few adjustments to the screen. Soon an image appeared. Hammond stared in disbelief. "What the hell?" he exclaimed.

Teal'c glared at the woman on the screen. "Qetesh!" he informed.

Hammond gave the woman an angry look. "This is General Hammond of the SGC, state your business!" he demanded.

Qetesh sat back in her chair, and looked at Hammond and the others. She noticed Teal'c in the background and smiled. "Greetings Tauri, and greetings to you too Teal'c. How are things on Earth?" she greeted a bit smug.

Hammond folded his arms and looked at Qetesh. "I'm sure you didn't contact us just to say hello. What do you want?" he asked in a firm tone.

Qetesh smiled. "General Hammond...cheerful as always. Nice to see you too. You're right. I could care less about the Tau'ri. Your planet means nothing...well, with the exception of providing hosts. And we could always use more hosts," she stated and smiled.

Jack looked at her angry. "And we both know, that's not going to happen! So you may as well forget it," he argued.

Qetesh nodded. "As I suspected. In that case, I'll give you an ultimatum. Either you hand over my Lord Ba'al, and his son, or we'll just turn your planet into ashes. It will be my pleasure to see Earth obliterated from the universe. You've been a thorn in our side for ages. I suggest that you cooperate, or suffer the consequences," she threatened.

Hammond nodded and glared at Qetesh. "Despite your threats, we're not going to comply. If it's a fight you want, then it's a fight you'll get. If anyone is going to be obliterated, it's you! Not to mention, we have the Asgards behind us, so you'll be getting one hell of a fight," he warned.

Qetesh quietly sighed. "Ah yes, the Asgards. Well, we'll see how well they help you when they feel the force of our power," she threatened.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Blah, blah, blah. You Goa'ulds are so melodramatic. We're going to kick your ass and you know it! We've done it before, and we can do it again," he stated in defiance.

Hammond nodded. "You're damn right. So you can just prepare yourselves. We're not about stand down," he challenged.

Qetesh nodded. "Very well. As you Tau'ris say, it's your funeral," she replied. She briefly smiled, then the screen faded to black.

Daniel looked at Jack worried. "Was it really necessary to antagonize her?" he asked.

Jack nodded. "Sure why not. It's what we do," he replied and briefly smiled.

Daniel shook his head. He wasn't looking forward to this mission. Unlike other missions he had been on in the past, this was the first time that he was ever involved in a mission where Earth hung in the balance. In the past, they were always prepared to defend their planet. The Goa'ulds were always issuing threats. But now the threat was real, and Daniel was worried. He just hoped that they could keep Qetesh from carrying out her plan.

Hammond quietly sighed, and looked at his team. He was worried too. Despite how dramatic Qetesh's threat sounded, it was a threat nonetheless, and she meant business. Well, so did he. And he wasn't about to let some alien destroy their planet. "All right people. It looks as if we're up against the entire Goa'uld fleet. There's no telling how many ships, they have. Major Carter informed me that the only ship she spotted on the radar was a Goa'uld Hatak war vessel, supposedly the one Qetesh is commanding. I have a feeling she's not alone. It could be that the others were cloaked so as not to be picked up on our scanners," he stated.

Jack nodded. "I agree sir. As the saying goes, where there's one Goa'uld, you can bet there's more. I think we should gather up all the reinforcements we can get," he stated in a decided tone. He thought for a moment, then looked at his commanding officer. "Sir, thinking of reinforcements...what about contacting our neighbors at Atlantis. We've done a few favors for them too. I think it's time to give them a call," he suggested.

Hammond nodded. "Yes, I've thought about that too, Colonel. Like I said, we're facing a threat that's far more deadly than we've ever had before. We could use the extra backup," he stated. He turned to Walter. "Sergeant, dial up the gate. Put me in touch with Doctor Weir," he ordered.

Walter nodded. "Yes sir," he replied. He pressed his hand on the pad to open the iris, then when the huge titanium cover opened, he typed in an address on the keyboard, then waited as the gate began to hum and rotate. Hammond and his team watched through the huge window as the lights on the gate lit up, and the gate continued to rotate. Steam spewed from the gate as it stopped at each symbol on the rings as it dialed up the address for Atlantis. A few minutes later, the address was established, and the event horizon erupted from the gate like a sideways volcano.

Back on Atlantis, Doctor Elizabeth Weir was in her office, when she received a message from one of the technicians that Atlantis was receiving a transmission from Stargate Command. She immediately left her office and headed to the control room. When she arrived, she noticed the event horizon in the gate had already been established, and shimmered like a huge wall of water.

---

End of Chapter 32

---

Chapter 33

Elizabeth Weir gives permission for her team to help Jack and his team fight the Goa'uld. Later, Qetesh begins her assault on the SGC.

---

A technician by the name of Chuck noticed Weir coming. "Dr. Weir, we're receiving a message from General Hammond at Stargate Command," he informed.

Elizabeth looked at Chuck and nodded. "Thanks Chuck. Patch him through. Put him on the screen," she ordered. Chuck nodded. "Yes mam," he replied. He typed in some commands on the keyboard, then made some adjustments to the image on the screen. In a few minutes, Hammond appeared on the screen.

A few minutes later Colonel John Sheppard, Teyla, Ronin, and Doctor Rodney McKay arrived at the gate room, and looked at Elizabeth.

"What's going on?" asked Sheppard.

Elizabeth nodded to the screen. "We're receiving a message from Hammond," she replied.

Rodney looked curious. "Really? It's been awhile since they've contacted us. I wonder what's going on?" he asked more to himself, than to anyone. He and Sheppard swapped glances for a moment. They seemed to sense that it must be serious if Hammond was contacting them. Elizabeth seemed to share the same feeling.

Elizabeth looked at Hammond, and briefly smiled. "General, it's good to see you. It's been awhile since we've had contact. Is everything all right at the SGC?" she asked.

Back at the SGC, Hammond looked at Elizabeth on the screen and sighed. He never liked asking for help, but considering what was happening, he decided this was an emergency. "Hello Doctor Weir. It's good to see you too. I wish I could say that this was a social call, but unfortunately that's not the case. I'm afraid we need your help," he stated a bit anxious.

Elizabeth looked at her team with surprise, then looked back at the screen. "What's the problem, General? How can we be of assistance?" she asked with concern.

Hammond sighed with relief. "Thank you Doctor Weir. I knew we could count on you. We have a big problem. A Goa'uld by the name of Qetesh, and her warriors are planning an attack on Earth. The Asgards have offered their assistance. However, considering that we have no idea the size of her fleet, we thought it would be prudent to bring in some extra help," he explained.

Weir nodded. "I see. Thank you for contacting us. We'll do all we can to help," she assured.

Rodney thought for a moment, then looked at Elizabeth "Qetesh? That name sounds vaguely familiar. Seems like I remember hearing something about her," he stated.

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes," she agreed. She looked at Hammond. "Not to worry General. I'll have my team ready whenever you need them," she assured.

John nodded. "Yes sir, General. We owe you one anyway, for helping us out here at Atlantis. You can count on us, sir. We'll be there right away," he assured.

Hammond nodded and smiled. "Thank you Colonel. I'm counting on it. So far Qetesh hasn't started her attack, but we need to start making plans. We'd appreciate it if you could be here so we could get together and work on our plan of attack," he stated.

Colonel Sheppard nodded. "Yes sir. We'll be there right away. We want to save Earth as much as you do. So don't worry. We have your backs," he assured.

Hammond nodded. "Thank you Colonel. I appreciate that," he replied. He looked at Weir. "Thank you again for your help. We'll be waiting for your team's arrival," he stated.

Elizabeth nodded. "You're welcome, General. I'll have them there, ASAP," she stated.

Hammond nodded. "Thank you. Hammond out," he replied. They finished their talk then the two commanders signed out.

Elizabeth looked at her team. "This is serious. They need our help. Get your team ready John. You ship out in one hour," she ordered. She looked at Rodney. "And Rodney, get me some information on that Goa'uld Qetesh. I want to know what we're going up against," she ordered.

Rodney nodded. "Right away mam," he replied. He turned and hurried to his lab.

John and the others looked at Elizabeth. "Don't worry, Elizabeth. We'll get our gear together," he stated.

Elizabeth nodded. "Good and take Doctor Beckett with you. I have a feeling they're going to need all the medical assistance they can get as well as troops," she stated.

John and the others nodded, then turned, and left to get ready for their mission.

Elizabeth stared at the gate, and watched the event horizon collapse into itself. For now the gate room was quite, but in another hour, it would be reactivated and she would be watching her team head off for another mission. But this time their mission was to help protect Earth.

During the next few days everyone was busy gathering their gear and preparing to go back to Earth. Rodney had found all the information about Qetesh and Ba'al and had handed that over to Weir. "Ba'al and Qetesh had been together for quite some time," he explained to her. "But about 5 years ago, it seemed that Qetesh was temporarily unavailable and Ba'al took a young woman from Earth. That woman turned out to be O'Neill's wife, Sha're. He knew she was a host too and made her pregnant, against her will. Later she gave birth to two boys, one of them is O'Neill's kid, the other one belongs to Ba'al. Obviously they now want that boy, at all price."

Weir nodded. "As I know Colonel O'Neill, he will never give that boy up."

At that moment Colonel John Sheppard entered Weir's office.

"John," she greeted him. "How are the preparations going? Is everybody ready to leave?"

"Yeah," he answered. "I was just going to ask you, if we have permission to leave. The puddle jumper is ready to start."

"Permission granted John. Good luck. And come back safe... all of you," she said.

"We will, Elizabeth," John answered and turned around to leave the office. At the door he waited, because Rodney hadn't moved an inch. "Come on Rodney, I want to be on Earth before dark," he halfway joked.

Rodney looked a bit helpless. "But..." he began.

"Rodney!" John's voice sounded more demanding now.

Quickly Rodney took his small computer from Weir and hurried to John. "Ok ok, I'm coming," he said.

Elizabeth shook her head and smiled. She was always amused by Rodney's quirky behavior. Despite his quirks, he was a brilliant scientist, and a valuable member of the team. They were like a well oiled machine. They worked well together. Even if one member was down, they always managed to stay together, and come back alive. She felt confident about this mission and her team. She had been in charge of Atlantis for many years and knew her people well. She knew that if anyone could accomplish a mission her team could do the job. She quietly sighed, then followed John and Rodney out of the office.

Despite her confidence in her team, she never missed a chance to see them off. As they made their way to the gate room, they were met by Doctor Carson Beckett, Ronon Dex, and Teyla Emmagan. Everyone had already loaded their gear into the puddle jumper, and were ready to go.

As John and his team made their way to the jumper, Elizabeth headed to the control room. She watched her team get into the jumper, then saw the door to the back of the jumper slowly close. She gave the order for the technician to dial up the gate. Chuck typed the symbols into the computer that would dial up the gate and take the jumper to the SGC by way of the midway gate. That had been a big asset to gate travel ever since it had been installed. It made getting to the SGC much quicker and easier.

As the gate came to life once more, inside the jumper, John pressed the palm of his hands on the panel, and started up the jumper. He had the ancient gene in him and that made it possible for him to control the jumper. Rodney sat in the seat in front next to John, and punched in the symbols on another panel, that would take them to the SGC. Soon the event horizon settled down to a rippling wall of water. Once the gate had stabilized, Elizabeth contacted the SGC to inform them that her team was on its way. The jumper hovered for a few minutes then John made one last transmission before they left. "Wish us luck, Elizabeth," he parted.

Elizabeth nodded and smiled. "Good luck, Colonel, and all of you and God speed!" she replied.

"Thanks!" he replied. He pressed on some controls and soon the jumper shot through the gate like a bullet.

Meanwhile back at the SGC, Walter had received a transmission from Stargate Atlantis. He quickly notified General Hammond. "General Hammond to the gate room. We're receiving a message from SGA," he reported.

Hammond hurried to the control room, and looked at Walter. "Thank you Sergeant. Patch it through," he replied. Walter typed a few keys on the keyboard, then he and Hammond looked at the screen as Elizabeth gave her message.

"Hello General. Just letting you know that my team is on their way," she informed.

Hammond pressed a button on the microphone. "Thank you Doctor Weir. We'll open the gate for them," he replied. Walter pressed his palm on a panel on the desk, and opened the titanium cover. The cover opened, then soon the gate began to activate. The huge rings hummed, and lit up, then turned a few times as it dialed up the address. Soon the gate came to life, and the event horizon erupted, then settled down into a shiny rippling wall of water. Hammond and Walter waited for a few minutes, as they watched the gate intently. After a few minutes, they watched in amazement as the puddle jumper came through the gate making a splooshing sound as it passed through the event horizon. Hammond pressed the button on the microphone. "Doctor Weir, your team has arrived," he informed.

Elizabeth smiled. "Thank you General. I just want to say, I wish everyone at the SGC good luck in your fight against the Goa'ulds, and may your victory be swift, and without casualties," she stated in earnest.

Hammond pressed the button once more. "Thank you Doctor. I appreciate your support. Take Care and God Bless," he replied. "Thank you General. You're welcome. Same to you. Weir out," she replied.

They finished their talk, then Hammond and Elizabeth, signed out. Hammond pressed the button on the microphone once more. "Welcome to the SGC, Colonel Sheppard. Glad to see that you and your people made it safe and sound. Prepare to disembark. I'll send some people in to help you," he stated.

John nodded. "Thank you General. We'll be waiting," he replied. Soon the gate shut down, and Walter closed the titanium cover. Meanwhile John lowered the jumper and parked it in the gate room. A few minutes later, some troops entered the gate room, along with some technicians, to assist John and his team. The back of the jumper slowly lowered, then the Atlantis team made their way out of the jumper.

Jack O'Neill and his team headed to the gate room the minute they heard about Sheppard and his team arriving. The huge double steel door opened, then along with Hammond, Jack and his team walked into the gate room to welcome their Atlantis friends.

As John and his team unloaded their gear, they saw Hammond and SG1 walking into the gate room. John turned and saluted the older man. "General Hammond," he saluted as he stood at attention.

Hammond returned his salute, and smiled. "At ease Colonel. Glad to see you," he greeted.

Jack nodded and smiled. "Likewise," he greeted.

John took a relaxed stance, and nodded to Hammond and Jack. "Thank you. Glad to be here. I hope we can be of assistance," he stated.

Jack nodded. "We're glad to have you. I'm sure you'll be a big help to us. The more the merrier, I always say," he stated half jokingly.

Teyla looked at Hammond. "We'll do all we can to help," she stated in earnest.

Hammond nodded and smiled. "Thank you. I appreciate all of you being here," he stated in earnest. He gestured to SG1. My team will be glad to show you to your quarters. We've provided some rooms for you while you're here," he stated.

John and the others nodded. "Thank you General," replied John. After the Atlantis team had collected their gear from the jumper, they followed Hammond and SG1 out of the gate room. As they left the gate room, the huge door closed behind them.

Hammond excused himself and returned to his office, then SG1 escorted John and his team to their quarters.

They had hardly arrived at their quarters when the base alarms sounded. Both teams hurried to the control room. The ground heaved and the windows of the control room shattered. It was as if the mountain was under attack from the outside. In his prison Ba'al looked up too. A smile came upon his face. The attack had started.

Hammond looked up from his desk as he felt the building shaking and the loud noise from outside the mountain that sounded like huge cannons going off. He heard the alarms going off and immediately jumped up, then hurried to the control room. These were the times, when he had wished that he was younger and hadn't spent so much time behind a desk. He panted heavily as he made his way to the control room. He grabbed the rail to the steps, as he felt another tremor shake the mountain. He finally arrived in the control room, then briefly caught his breath. He saw the two teams in the control room, then gave them a look as if to say, what now! "Don't tell me. Qetesh!" he grumbled.

Another blast shook the mountain and everyone grabbed something to keep from falling down. Teal'c looked at Hammond. "Indeed. And she is not about to stand down," he stated.

Hammond nodded. He happened to notice that one of the technicians had been injured by the shattered glass. Their face was dripping with blood. He looked at Daniel. "Get some medics up here ASAP!" he ordered. Daniel hurried over to the phone on the wall, and called the infirmary. Dr. Beckett had his medical bag, and quickly assisted the technician.

Jack suddenly remembered his children. "Sir, permission to go check on my children. I brought them to the base with me this morning," he stated anxious.

Hammond nodded. "Granted, Colonel," he replied. He didn't have time for an explanation. His base was under attack.

Jack nodded then hurried out of the control room, to find his children.

The last thing Jack remembered was that the young Lieutenant had taken the children to the commissary. He hurried to the commissary, then looked around. He got worried when he didn't see them. People in the complex were racing about trying to either find cover, or grab some weapons. When he didn't see them, he remembered his quarters. He left the commissary, and hurried to his quarters. He took out his card on the way. Then when he arrived at his quarters, he quickly swiped his card through the slot on the wall. The buzzer sounded and he opened the door. He sighed with relief as he saw the young Lieutenant sitting on the bed with the children in her lap.

In his quarters Serena and the boys had gathered together with Tracy. Serena was crying and the boys held each other scared. Tracy was holding Serena and tried to calm her down. When Jack rushed into the room, Serena broke free from Tracy and ran to her father. "DADDY!" she shouted. Jack lifted her up and held her close to him. "It's ok. I'm here. You'll be all right," he tried to assure her. Tracy took the boys with her, and looked questioning at Jack.

"Qetesh...," was all he said, but he knew she would understand.

They felt another blast, and the mountain shook. He looked at Tracy. "We need to get these kids out of here!" he ordered. They immediately hurried out of Jack's quarters, and headed to the supply room. Jack and the young Lieutenant gathered some food and supplies for the Lieutenant and the children and put everything in a backpack. The Lieutenant found some extra ammunition for her weapon, and put that in her vest. She quickly put on her vest, then put on the backpack. She and Jack gathered the children, then hurried to an elevator that would take the Lieutenant and the children to a shelter under the mountain. They had built an underground bomb shelter in case of extreme emergencies, and right now Jack felt this was an extreme emergency. His heart felt heavy, knowing that he would be leaving his children behind, but at least he knew they would be safe.

They finally arrived at the elevator, and he took out his card and swiped it through a slot on the wall. As they waited for the elevator doors to open, he knelt down and looked at his children, especially the two boys. "Don't worry. Tracy is taking you to a very safe place. Don't be afraid," he assured.

Evan looked at his father. "Are you coming with us?" he asked anxious.

Jack shook his head. "I can't. I have to stay behind to make sure you and your brother and sister are safe. But don't worry. When all this is over, We'll be together again. That's a promise! But right now, you boys have to be strong and take care of your sister. I'm putting you guys in charge, and you have to be very brave," he stated.

The two boys nodded. "Don't worry. We'll be bwave," assured Jona.

Jack nodded and smiled. "I know you will," he replied. He felt sad, but gave his children a big hug. "I love you," he parted. They hugged their father, then Jack kissed them once more. He looked at Serena as he noticed the tears in her eyes. "It's ok. Don't cry. I promise I'll be back," he assured. He hugged her once more and kissed her cheek. "You be brave too, ok?" he said.

Serena nodded. "Ok daddy. I be bwave," she said and sniffed.

Jack sighed. The elevator doors opened. He helped Tracy walk the children into the elevator, then Jack stepped out of the car. He looked at his children. "You be good and remember, whatever happens, we're going to be together again," he promised.

The children nodded, then Jack looked at Tracy. "Take care of them, Lieutenant," he ordered.

Tracy saluted. "Yes sir!" she promised in earnest. She punched the button, then Jack sighed and waved to the children as he watched the doors slowly close. He briefly saw them wave, then sighed once more. He briefly wiped the tears that came to his eyes, then turned, and made his way back to the control room.

On the way back, he had stopped by the weapons room, and picked up a vest, and his P90, along with some ammunition and a zat. He quickly changed into his uniform and put on his boots and vest, then made his way to the control room.

Back in the control room, everyone was holding on to something, to prevent them from falling. Finally the attacked stopped and they dared to breathe again.

"Sir," Sam started, "maybe I could contact my father, and ask the Tok'ra for help."

Hammond nodded. "Go ahead, Major. After that you can contact the Daedalus and the Prometheus. I have to make a call to the president, and tell him that Earth is under attack by the Goa'uld."

"Yes General, I'll do that right away," she answered.

Hammond looked at both teams for a short moment and then he went to his office to make his call to the president.

Sam started to dial the gate to the Tok'ra planet. She was lucky, her father was present and in short terms she told him about Ba'al, Qetesh and their threat. Jacob promised to come over immediately.

"Sam, there's only one condition for the Tok'ra to help," he said. "Since Jack gave up Lantash, he's still without a host. And Lantash knows a lot, when it comes to Ba'al and Qetesh."

At that moment Jack came into the control room. "Is that Jacob?"

Sam nodded. "Yes, he wants to help, but only in return for a host for Lantash."

Jack looked disapproving. "No way, not me anymore!" he said.

Jacob heard Jack's answer. "It is either that, Jack. Or you are on your own in this fight. Remember how much Lantash knows, and after all, you two did get along together."

Jack shivered by the thought of having a snake in his head again. But then he remembered the time when he and Sha're were both hosts. Lantash had let them live normal lives he only was present when he was needed. Jack looked helpless at Sam, but she just shrugged.

"It's your decision, sir," she said. "I can't decide for you to be a host or not."

"All right," he gave in. At least he would have a long life, together with Lothar, when this was all over.

Hammond immediately rushed to his office and picked up the red phone on his desk. That was the phone, he always used in case of emergencies when he had to call the president. And right now, this was an emergency. He quickly punched one on the speed dial, and contacted the president. A few minutes later, a voice answered his call.

"White House. Who's calling please?" the secretary answered.

"This is General George Hammond. I need to speak to the president immediately! This is an emergency," he stated emphatic.

"Please wait while I connect you," the woman replied.

Hammond sighed. He always hated waiting on the phone. What took minutes seemed to take hours.

A few minutes later, President Henry Hayes's voice came on the phone. "George, what's going on? My secretary gave me your message and told me that it was an emergency," he replied anxious.

Hammond sighed. "I hate to tell you this sir, but Earth is under attack, by the Goa'ulds. But we have some backup. We've already contacted most of our allies, like the Tok'ra, Asgards, and our neighbors from Atlantis. Not to mention, we have the back up of our ships too, The Prometheus, and the Daedalus," he informed.

Hayes nodded and sighed. "Thank you for informing me George. I'll contact the secretary of defense, and we'll get you some more back up. We can't have Earth being compromised by a bunch of dominating-seeking aliens. We need all the help we can get!" he replied in a stern tone.

---

End of Chapter 33

---

Chapter 34

Despite his feelings about symbiotes, Jack agrees to become host to the Tok'ra symbiote Lantash. Jacob tells him that Lantash contains all the knowledge of the Goa'ulds and would be an asset to Jack in helping him fight the Goa'ulds.

---

Hammond nodded. "I agree sir. Thank you. I appreciate you doing that. In the meantime, we'll do all we can to defend our planet," he promised.

Hayes nodded. "I know you will, General. I wish you God Speed, and good luck," he replied.

Hammond nodded. "Thank you sir," he replied. They finished their talk, then finally hung up. Hammond quietly sighed. He just hoped that they could hold the Goa'ulds off long enough to give their reinforcements time to arrive. He hung up, then hurried out of his office. He rushed back to the control room as quick as he could. When he arrived, he looked at Sam. "Major, have you contacted those ships yet?" he asked.

Sam shook her head. She had just finished talking to her father, and had informed Jack about getting Lantash as a host. She knew Jack wasn't too thrilled about the idea of being a host, but since he finally agreed, she decided he was doing it to help save Earth. She slightly blinked. "Not yet sir. I was just about to do that," she replied. She quickly punched a few buttons on the control panel, to contact Colonel Pendergast, and Colonel Caldwell. A few minutes later, the faces of the two men appeared on the screen.

Hammond picked up a headset, and put it on then looked at Sam. "Am I patched in?" he asked.

Sam punched in a few more buttons, then nodded. "Yes sir. You're connected," she informed.

"Colonels Caldwell, and Pendergast. Hammond here. We need your help. We're under attack by Qetesh and her fleet of Jaffa warriors," he informed.

The two men nodded. "Yes sir. We picked them up on our scanners. They're hovering over Earth," stated Pendergast.

Caldwell spoke up. "Yes, so did we. Don't worry General. We'll be right there. We won't leave you stranded," he assured.

Hammond nodded. "Thank you Colonels. I'm counting on your help. We've already had some bombing here on base. We could use some back up ASAP," he ordered.

The two men nodded. "We've got your back, General. We're there," assured Pendergast. The two men ordered their ships to go into hyper speed, and soon they were headed for Earth. They finished their communication with Hammond, then Hammond signed out. He sighed with relief, but the battle wasn't over yet. Hammond looked at his best team. "How about the Tok'ra, Major?" he asked Sam.

"Sir, they are willing to help, but only if Colonel O'Neill agrees to be host for Lantash again. It seemed that they can't find a good host for him," informed Sam.

Hammond looked at Jack. "You don't have to if you don't want to," he said concerning.

Jack just shook his head. "I'm not dancing around with joy to be a host again, but I have to admit, it also has a good thing with it. At least I can grow old together with Lothar. If the Goa'uld don't kill me before our wedding."

Hammond nodded. At that moment the Stargate started spinning and the base alarms sounded again. "Do we have an IDC-code?" Hammond asked the technician.

"Yes Sir, it is a Tok'ra ID," he answered.

"Open the iris," Hammond ordered. A few minutes later the wormhole was connected and Jacob stepped through the gate. In his hands he held a jar, in which Lantash was carried.

Jack shivered for a moment, then he went down to the gate room, together with Hammond, Sam, Daniel, and Teal'c.

In the gate room Sam hugged her father closely. "Dad! It's so good to see you again." Then she stepped back, to let the others greet him. He shook hands with Daniel and Hammond. Teal'c just bowed his head in his usual way, his hands behind his back. Then Jacob turned to Jack.

"I wouldn't ask you this, if we had another host for Lantash, Jack," Jacob tried to ease him. "But the fact that you two know each other and have been together before, makes the blend easier."

Jack looked disapproving at the closed jar. "Just let's do it. Get it over with," he said. "And not where everybody is watching. Maybe we better go to my quarters. If it has to be done, I prefer some privacy."

Jacob nodded and together they left the gate room, leaving the rest of SG1 and General Hammond behind.

As they came to Jack's quarters, it had been so long since he had been a host, that he had forgotten the procedure. He looked at Jacob a bit anxious. "Is there any possibility that I could be sedated for this?"

Jacob shook his head. "I'm sorry Jack. But it's better that the host stay awake. Don't worry. It's painless. You'll experience a bit of a headache, but afterwards, you'll be all right," he assured.

Jack nodded. "You mean like a hangover?" he asked.

Jacob nodded. "I guess that would be a fair example," he chuckled. He gestured to Jack's bed. "Now, just lay down, and then I'll have Lantash do his thing," he explained.

Jack shuddered once more, but followed Jacob's directions. He looked at Jacob once more. "Can I close my eyes? You know how I feel about those things," he commented anxious. Jacob nodded. "That would all right. Also you have to open your mouth," he instructed.

Jack made a face. "EW! Oh all right!" he replied. As bad as this blending sounded, at least this wasn't a goa'uld. He laid on back, and opened his mouth so Lantash could enter his body.

Jacob took the symbiote out of the jar, and put it on Jack's chest. Within minutes, the symbiote jumped into Jack's mouth, and made it's way to the inside of Jack's body. Jack coughed and sputtered, as he felt the symbiote jump inside him then just a few minutes after that, his head was pounding as if he had one humongous headache.

The blending took a few moments, and then, Jacob looked at Jack. "Lantash, are you available?" he asked to make sure the symbiote was there.

Jack got himself in a sitting position, then he closed his eyes for a moment. When he looked up again, his attitude had changed. I am here, Selmak, Lantash answered.

Jacob bowed his head, and soon he became Selmak. It is good to hear you again my old friend. The Tauri need our help, and since you and O'Neill had been blended before, I decided it would be best to have you be host to him once more. You contain all the knowledge of the Goa'ulds, and you would be a big asset to our fight against them, he stated.

That is also true. Can you fill me in about the latest happenings? Lantash asked Selmak. I cannot get a clear vision from O'Neill at this moment.

Selmak briefly frowned. I had a feeling this would happen,he sighed. He thought for a moment.Queen Qetesh has threatened to destroy Earth if Ba'al is not returned to her. Already she is attacking Earth with full force,he informed.

Is Ba'al here,? Lantash asked him.

Selmak nodded.From what I have learned from my host, Ba'al is here on base, and is well guarded. But as long as he is here, the Tauri are in great danger, he replied.

That is not good. I hope there are enough men guarding him. Lantash nodded too and stood up. He also wants his son..., Lantash suddenly said and looked at Selmak. He wants the child, that Sha're had given birth to. That is the whole cause of this attack.

Selmak shuddered. That is very bad! What does O'Neill think about this situation? he asked with concern.

He thinks... to hell with Ba'al and Qetesh, Lantash answered him.

Even Selmak smiled at that remark, then became serious again.Then it is indeed imperative that we help the Tauri. It is evident that O'Neill will not give up his son to these Goa'ulds. So we must help them all we can, he replied.

Lantash nodded, then closed his eyes and gave Jack back control. Jack blinked a few times and shook his head. "Damn! That was really weird!" Jack exclaimed when Lantash released him from his control. "Ok. Is this going to work out?" he asked.

Jacob bowed his head, then became himself again. "Yes. You'll be able to gain all of Lantash's knowledge of Qetesh, and help save our planet," he stated.

Jack nodded. "Good. At least this wasn't for nothing. Now, let's get down to business," he said once he had found his bearings. He rubbed his head, then he and Jacob, hurried back to the gate room where Hammond, Sam, Daniel, and Teal'c were waiting.

While Lantash and Jack blended again, the Prometheus and Daedalus arrived in orbit around Earth. Colonel Caldwell contacted Hammond to let him know that they had arrived and were ready to beam SG1 and the Atlantis team up.

"Let them all gather in the gate room," Caldwell instructed Hammond. "That would be the best place, to beam them up."

Hammond nodded and gestured to both teams to go the gate room. "They're on their way, Colonel. We only have to wait for Colonel O'Neill."

At that moment Jack arrived in the control room again. "Did I miss anything?" he asked, when he saw Hammond talking with Caldwell.

Hammond shook his head. "No Colonel. In fact you're just in time to get beamed up to the Daedalus," he informed.

Jack nodded. "Right. Thank you sir. I wouldn't miss this battle for anything," he replied and smiled.

Hammond nodded as he looked at the two teams. "I know you wouldn't Colonel. I just want to wish all of you God Speed, and good luck," he stated in earnest.

The two teams nodded, and saluted their General. Hammond pressed a button on the panel. "Ok Colonel, you can beam them up now," he ordered.

"Yes sir," replied Caldwell. In just a few seconds, Hammond watched as a beam of light surrounded the two teams, then within seconds, they were gone.

"Caldwell to Hammond. We have them aboard," he informed his General.

Hammond looked on the screen and saw the two teams on board and smiled. "Thank you Colonel. God speed!" he stated.

Caldwell nodded. "Thank you General," he replied. "Caldwell out," he said as they ended their transmission.

Hammond sighed, then said a silent prayer for his teams. He happened to think of Jack's children, and looked at Walter. "Sergeant, locate the Colonel's children," he ordered. Walter typed in a few commands on his control panel, and soon he was able to bring them on the screen. He and Hammond saw the young Lieutenant in one of the bomb shelters with the children. Hammond looked at Walter. "Can you patch me into her?" he asked. Walter nodded and typed in the frequency on the control panel. Hammond pressed a button on the panel. "Lieutenant, General Hammond here. How are the Colonel's children?" he asked with concern.

The young Lieutenant pressed a button on her radio. "They're all right General. A little scared, but otherwise they're ok," she informed. Hammond nodded and sighed. "Thank you Lieutenant. Stay on this channel in case we need to contact you," he ordered.

Tracy pressed the button on her radio. "Yes sir," she replied.

Hammond looked at the children, and smiled. "Take care of them, Lieutenant. You have some very important children in your care," he stated.

Tracy nodded. "Yes sir. I'll make sure they're safe," she replied.

Hammond nodded. "Thank you. Take care and Hammond out," he replied. They ended their transmission, and then Hammond sighed once more. He was relieved that Jack's children were safe, and hoped that Jack stayed safe too.

On board the Daedalus they all went to a small briefing room. Jack quickly explained what was going on. "Until now, Qetesh has attacked Earth only once. But if we don't bring her Evan and Ba'al, she will continue her bombing on Earth," Jack told Colonel Caldwell.

Caldwell looked from one then another and nodded. "I suggest you take the X303's and attack on the mothership. I will inform Colonel Pendergast on the Prometheus and ask him to do the same."

Jack waited for a moment, as if he was listening to a voice inside him. Then he nodded and looked at Caldwell again. "Qetesh will start her death gliders, the moment she notices our X303's in space. It would be great if the Daedalus and the Prometheus could give us some backup."

"Sure," Caldwell agreed. Then he stood up from his chair. "I will inform Pendergast. You'd better decide who will fly the cruisers and who will stay on board."

"Yes, Sir," Sam answered him, before Jack could say anything. Then she looked at Jack. "Sorry Sir, but we don't have much time."

"You're right," Jack agreed. "I want you to be my pilot, Teal'c will be Ronon's pilot, John goes together with Teyla. I want Daniel and Rodney to stay on board. Just as the doctors Fraiser and Beckett. Any other suggestions?"

But they all shook their heads. "Ok, then head for the X303's and shoot Qetesh out of space!" he ordered.

Both teams headed for their ships, and put on their flight gear, and helmets for the long flight ahead. They checked their radios, and oxygen hoses to make sure everything was working properly. The technicians and mechanics helped the crew into their ships and then all the teams quickly closed their airtight canopies.

Each ship made a transmission to one another to make sure they were in communication with one another, and then they made a transmission to the main deck, to make sure they were in communication with the Daedalus.

The mechanics and technicians gave a thumbs up, to signal that everything was ok. A technician radioed to the control room to open up the rear hatch of the huge ship to release the X303's. The huge doors slowly opened, then each pilot started up their ships. Once the doors were open, one by one the X303's flew out of the main cargo area and headed into space on their mission to help save Earth.

Jack was right when he warned his team about Qetesh's death gliders. They were hardly in space and on their way to the Goa'uld mothership, when the gliders were launched as well. The gliders immediately started to fire on the X303's, but the well trained pilots manage to stay out of the enemy fire. The co-pilots fired back at the gliders.

The Prometheus and the Daedalus gave their battleships backup by firing at the gliders as well. Then the Goa'uld ship started to fire too on the huge Earth vessels, but the shots bounced off from the protecting shields.

The Asgard ship wasn't that lucky, they had a mal-functioning and their shields were dropping fast by each shot of the Goa'uld ship. None of them noticed the appearing rift in space...

Three hundred years later in the future, on board the Enterprise E, commander Data noticed an anomaly in space. "Captain," he said. "There is an anomaly appearing, close to Earth..."

"On screen, Mr. Data," captain Jean-Luc Picard ordered.

"Yes sir." Data touched some symbols on his console and the anomaly appeared on the big screen. Picard stood up from his chair. He had never seen such an anomaly before. It had appeared out of nowhere and seemed to get bigger. Then he felt that his ship started shaking and he quickly sat down again.

"Sir," Data started. "We are pulled into the rift."

"Full impulse power back," Riker said.

"No effect," Data answered. "We are pulled in, I do not have control of the ship anymore."

The Enterprise shook more and more. The strong engines could not prevent the ship from getting pulled into the rift and a few moments later, it had disappeared.

As the X303's headed toward Qetesh and her fleet, they saw the Asgards returning fire, as a Ha'tak vessel fired upon one of their vessels. The explosion from the blast was so bright that it made even Jack and Sam squint, despite their visors were down. Jack glared at the Ha'tak vessel. "Give me some power Sam!" he ordered.

Sam punched some buttons on her console and watched her screen as the download began. In just a few seconds it was complete. "Go for it, sir! You have full power," she replied. They steered the ship closer to the Ha'tak vessel, then Jack aimed the weapon and fired upon the vessel. A bright flash resembling a torpedo bolted from their ship, and hit the Ha'tak vessel then exploded, putting a hole in the side of the pyramid shaped vessel, the size of a medium sized meteor.

"Nice shot, sir!" Sam praised her commander.

"Thanks!" replied Jack. They quickly flew off in the opposite direction to avoid the debris that flew from the injured vessel. "That's one for the Earthlings," stated Jack and smiled.

John and Teyla made a few circles around one of the other Ha'tak vessels, attempting to find a chink in the armor. "What do you think Teyla? Right flank or left?" he asked his young female Athosian assistant.

Teyla scanned the vessel for a moment, then replied. "I suggest the left, Colonel," she replied.

"I think so too," replied John and smiled. He pressed a button on his control stick, and aimed at the left side of the huge pyramid ship as it fired upon the Prometheus. He fired several quick bursts of torpedoes into the vessel, then they veered off in the opposite direction. A few minutes later there was a huge explosion as the torpedoes hit the vessel and the top of the pyramid flew off into space. John gasped. "Damn! That's got to hurt!" he joked.

"I think you were successful, Colonel," Teyla commented and smiled.

John smiled. "Ya think?" he replied joking. He pressed a button on his helmet. "Hey Jack, how was that? You think that was a bit too much?" he asked in a joking manner.

Jack picked up Sheppard's communication and smiled. "No way! Nice shooting Colonel! Great job!" he replied.

John smiled. "Thanks Colonel!" he replied. The two ships veered off and began firing on the death gliders that were coming from the Ha'tak vessels.

At that moment the Enterprise was released from the rift in space and witnessed the battle in space. Picard stood up from his captain's chair and watched the screen. "Mr. Data, can you verify those ships?" he asked the android.

Data touched the screen console in front of him and scanned the vessels. "The pyramid ships belong to a race, called Goa'uld. The other two vessels are Earth vessels. The third type belongs to the Asgard," he informed his captain.

"The Asgard?" Riker said surprised. "I've never seen them before, only on the screens during history lessons at Starfleet Academy. They were extinct three hundred years ago! Data, can you tell us where we are, and more specific, when?"

Data looked at his screen. "We are in high orbit around Earth, somewhere beginning 21st century." He turned around in his chair to look at the captain and the first officer. "We have been thrown back in time." He turned back to his console again.

"And not a moment too soon," chief engineer Geordi LaForge mentioned. "Look, the Asgard ship is heavily damaged. Their shields are down."

"Lock on the tractor beam and expand our shields, Mr. LaForge," Picard ordered. "And bring them out of danger!"

As the battle raged on, one of the technicians aboard the Prometheus, suddenly picked up a strange vessel on the screen. He turned and looked at Colonel Pendergast. "Sir, we're picking up an unknown vessel just a few yards from the Ha'tak ship," he informed.

Pendergast nodded. "Put it on the screen, Lieutenant," he ordered. The young man punched in a few buttons on the console and soon the Enterprise appeared on the screen. Pendergast and his crew studied the ship for a moment. Pendergast noticed the markings on the front of the ship. "What the heck? USS Enterprise?" he said surprised. He looked at the technician. "Lieutenant, try to make contact with that ship. I want to know where that ship came from," he ordered.

The young man nodded, and punched a few buttons on the control panel. Soon he was able to match the frequency of the ship. He looked at the Colonel. "We're in contact sir. You can transmit your message now," he informed. The older Colonel nodded and punched a button on the console of his chair. "This is Colonel Pendergast of the US ship Prometheus. We're from Earth. Who are you and where are you from?" he asked curious.

Meanwhile in space, Sheppard and the others saw the Enterprise and was just as amazed and surprised as Pendergast. Jack pressed a button on his helmet. "Say, do you guys see what we see? Where the heck did that ship come from?" he asked curious.

"You got me, Jack. I'm just as confused as you are," replied Sheppard.

Jack suddenly had a strange feeling come over him. "Man, this is creepy. Ok guys, I'm sure we'll be receiving a message really soon," he replied to the others. "In the meantime, maintain your positions," he ordered.

On the Enterprise Data noticed the incoming message. "Captain, I am receiving a message from one of the Earth vessels."

"On screen!" Picard ordered.

Data touched a few symbols on his console and Colonel Pendergast appeared on the big screen.

---

End of chapter 34

---

Chapter 35

The two ships from the SGC, The Prometheus and The Daedalus make contact with the strange ship from the future, The USS Enterprise. Luckily they find out that Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Enterprise will aid them in their fight against the Goa'uld. Meanwhile, Lothar gets beamed aboard the Enterprise, and devises a plan to help Jack and his team fight the Goa'uld.

---

Captain Picard stood up from his chair and pulled down his jacket. "I am Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise. We came from a place far away. Do you need help? We already brought the damaged Asgard ship to safety," he answered Pendergast.

Pendergast studied Picard for a moment as he appeared on the screen. "Nice to meet you Captain. We noticed your ship. Are you from Earth?" he asked curious.

Picard thought for a moment and looked at his first officer. Riker slightly shook his head. "I'm sorry Colonel, but where we are from, is highly classified. But we can help you, if you allow us."

Meanwhile LaForge had scanned the Asgard ship and looked up at the Captain.

Picard immediately understood what LaForge wanted. "Audio off, Mr. Data." Data did as he was told. "Audio is off, Captain."

"What is it Geordi?" Riker asked him.

"I just finished my scan of that Asgard ship and it appears, that there's one human life sign. Female. The other life signs are all Asgard," he told Riker.

Riker nodded and touched the communicator badge on his jacket. "Bridge to transporter room!"

"Transporter room here," the technician answered.

"Can you get a lock on the human life sign on that Asgard ship?" Riker ask.

A moment it was still. Then the technician answered "Yes, sir."

"Ok, beam her directly to sickbay. I'll meet her there."

Riker nodded to Picard. He stood up from his chair and gestured to LaForge. "Geordi, you're with me," he said.

"Yes sir, transporter room out."

Before Riker left the bridge, he nodded to Picard, who again ordered Data to restore the audio. "Sorry for the delay, captain. Can we be of assistance?"

Pendergast looked at his technician. "Run a scan on that ship," he ordered. The technician did as he was told. A few minutes later, he looked at Pendergast.

"Sir, it appears that most of the crew are human. I picked up other life forms, but they weren't human. Especially one crew member, who was an android," he reported.

Pendergast looked surprised. "An android? Interesting," he replied a bit thoughtful. He punched a button on the chair, then looked at Picard. "Captain, no offense, but we took the liberty of scanning your ship. Since we're in a war zone, we have to make sure who our allies are. If you're offering assistance, we would greatly appreciate it," he stated.

Picard nodded. "I understand your concern, Colonel. We will help you wherever we can. Picard out."

After their transmission with the Enterprise, the Prometheus continued their assault on the Goa'ulds.

Data touched his console and the screen turned back to its normal space view.

"Mr. Data," he started, "you have the bridge. Worf, you're with me." Together with his chief of security he left the bridge and went to the sickbay. Data stood up from his chair and took his place in the captain's chair.

Meanwhile Riker and LaForge arrived in the sickbay, where they met the young woman, who was beamed over from the Asgard ship. Doctor Beverly Crusher had scanned her with something she called a medical tricorder. "Well," she said, "you seemed healthy to me."

"Welcome aboard the Enterprise," Riker said. "My name is Will Riker, first officer and this Geordi LaForge, chief engineer," he introduced them. "And you are?"

"My name is Lothar O'Neil," she answered. "Are the Goa'uld attacking Earth?" she asked him.

Riker and LaForge looked at each other. But before they could answer Picard and Worf entered the room. Picard stepped forward to Lothar.

"I am Jean-Luc Picard, Captain of the USS Enterprise E," he said.

Lothar nodded. "Nice to meet you captain, my name is Lothar O'Neil." But then she saw Worf. The dark and tall man scared her and she backed off a few steps.

He noticed her fear. "I am a Klingon," he said with a deep voice, as if that would explain everything.

Lothar looked from Worf to Picard and then to Riker, who had a big smile on his face.

"Don't worry," Riker said. "He won't bite, he's not as dangerous as he looks."

Picard looked at Lothar once more. "Maybe we'd better go to our briefing room, so you can tell us something about what is happening," he said.

Lothar nodded and together with Picard, LaForge, Riker, and Worf, she left the sickbay.

They all stepped into the turbo lift. "Bridge." Riker ordered and the lift immediately started moving up a few decks and then turned sideways. A few minutes later they arrived at the bridge and went into the briefing room, when Picard gestured Lothar to sit down. "Can you tell us, what that... Goa'uld attack is all about," Picard asked her.

Lothar nodded and started telling her story. "...and now Ba'al wants me and his son. If I don't surrender to him, his queen Qetesh will destroy Earth or make at least the people on Earth her slaves. The last thing I know on Earth, is that Ba'al again is captured and brought to the SGC again. I don't know where Jack and the kids are. I noticed the attack from Qetesh, the Asgard ship was about to be destroyed, when you came to the rescue. I speak also on behalf of the Asgard, when I say, Thank you, you saved all of our lives."

Meanwhile, back on the Prometheus, Pendergast looked at his crew. "Well, it looks like we have some extra help," he replied and smiled. He looked at his technician. "Patch me into Sheppard and O'Neill," he stated.

The technician nodded, and punched in a few buttons on the control panel. After a few minutes, he turned to Pendergast.

"We have communication sir," he informed.

Pendergast nodded. "Colonel O'Neill, and Colonel Sheppard, this is Colonel Pendergast. Do not fire on the Enterprise. They are our allies. They are here to help us," he informed the two men.

Jack and John immediately received the transmission. "Roger that Colonel," they replied. "Where are they from, Colonel?" asked Jack curious.

"According to their Captain, that information was classified, but they assured me that they are here to help us," Pendergast assured.

Jack nodded. "Sounds good Colonel. As long as they don't start firing at us, I'm all for extra help," he replied.

"Same here," replied John upon hearing the transmission between Jack and Pendergast.

"Good luck Colonels, and we have your backs," replied Pendergast.

"Thank you Colonel," the two men replied. They finished their transmission, then returned to the battle.

Back on the Enterprise bridge helmsman Wesley Crusher noticed a message come in. "Sir, we are receiving a message, it's coming from the Goa'uld vessel," he said.

"On screen," Data answered him.

The next moment a woman with long black hair appeared on the screen. She had an arrogant look on her face.

Why are you protecting that Asgard ship, she asked Data.

"The ship is heavily damaged," the android said honest. His programming didn't allow him to lie. "And there was a human life on board."

The woman stood up from her throne and with arrogant moves she came closer to the screen. It's that human life I'm after, she said. Oh yeah, I know you rescued that person from the Asgard ship. Beam her over immediately,

"Audio off," Data ordered Wesley. Then he touched his combadge. "Data to Picard."

"Picard here," the answer came immediately.

"Captain, you'd better come over to the bridge," Data said.

The next moment the door slid open and Picard entered the bridge. Lothar, Riker, and the rest of the group followed him. Picard looked at the woman on the screen and ordered Wesley to turn the audio on again.

"Who are you?" Picard asked.

That is not relevant, the echoing voice said. Hand over the woman you have there with you. She pointed at Lothar, who took a few steps back.

"Don't worry," Riker said. "That won't happen," he promised her.

Picard moved over to the screen. "We will not beam anyone over to your ship," he answered.

Then Qetesh smiled briefly. Captain, if you hand over the woman, your ship will be spared. Give me the woman, and we will leave.

Picard looked at Deanna Troi, the woman from Betazed.

She shook her head. "She is lying," she said quietly.

Picard turned back to the screen. "As I said, we won't beam anyone over. And that is my final word about it. Enterprise out."

Qetesh disappeared and the screen showed its usual space view again.

A technician turned to Colonel Caldwell. They had just scanned the Enterprise and suddenly picked up another life form. A young woman. For some reason the young woman seemed familiar. "Colonel, this is really strange. Our scanners just picked up another human life form aboard that ship Enterprise. A young woman. I noticed it when I picked up an energy spike in the Enterprise. It appears that they beamed her over from the Asgard ship," the technician informed.

Colonel Caldwell nodded. "Can you get a fix on the young woman Lieutenant?" he asked.

The Lieutenant pressed some buttons on the control panel, and scanned the Enterprise. "Sir, the woman is from Earth," he stated.

Caldwell nodded. "Interesting. Can you get a lock on her and transfer her over to our ship?" he asked.

The Lieutenant scanned the Enterprise once more, then shook his head. "Not possible sir. Their force fields are up, and I'm not able to get a lock on her," he informed.

Caldwell frowned, then sighed. "Patch me into General Hammond," he ordered. The Lieutenant nodded then punched in some buttons on the control panel. A few minutes later at the SGC, Walter received a transmission from the Daedalus.

"General Hammond, we have a message from the Daedalus," he informed.

Hammond looked at Walter curious. "Patch us in Sergeant. Let's hear what the Colonel has to say," he replied. Walter typed in a command and soon Colonel Caldwell appeared on the screen. Hammond picked up the headset and put it on.

Walter looked at Hammond. "We have a connection sir," he stated.

Hammond nodded and looked at the screen. "General Hammond here. What's going on Colonel?" he asked curious.

Caldwell pressed a button on his headset. "General Hammond. Our ship picked up a young woman on the Enterprise. It appears that she is from Earth. Unfortunately we are unable to transfer her to our ship. The Enterprise has their shields up and we cannot beam her aboard," he stated and frowned.

Hammond nodded. "A young woman? How did she get on the Enterprise?" he asked surprised.

"Evidently when the Asgard became disabled, the Enterprise beamed her over. She must be under the Enterprise's protection," he decided.

Hammond nodded. "Thank you Colonel for that information. I'm glad she's safe. Hammond out," he replied and then Walter ended their transmission. He thought about the young woman, then suddenly realized who she was. He looked at Walter. "Sergeant, patch me into Colonel O'Neill," he ordered. Walter nodded, then typed in another command to connect them to Jack's and Sam's ship.

Meanwhile, during a bombing run, Sam got a transmission from the SGC. "Sir, we're getting a transmission from General Hammond," she informed.

Jack looked surprised but nodded. "Patch us in. It could be important, Sam," he stated.

Sam quickly connected them to Hammond. Jack clicked on his headset on his helmet. "O'Neill to Hammond," he answered.

"Colonel, I have some news for you. I just received a message from Colonel Caldwell. He informed me that Lothar was just beamed aboard the Enterprise," informed Hammond.

Jack looked in the direction of the Enterprise. "What? You mean she isn't on the Asgard ship?" he asked.

"That's correct, Colonel. He informed me that when the Asgard ship became disabled the Enterprise beamed her aboard. She's under their protection now," Hammond stated.

Jack sighed with relief. He had noticed the damage to the Asgard ship, and wondered if Lothar was still aboard. He pressed on his headset. "Thank you General. That's good news. Let's hope she stays there until this battle is over," he replied.

"I agree, Colonel," replied Hammond. "I just thought you should be informed of the situation," he added.

"Thank you General. I appreciate that," replied Jack.

"You're welcome, Colonel," replied Hammond. "Hammond out," he ended. They ended their call. Jack sighed once more. He was glad Lothar was safe for the moment. Jack and Sam had just completed another bombing run on another Goa'uld Ha'tak ship. Jack had just disabled the ship by blasting a hole the size of a small asteroid in the side of the ship.

"Good shot, sir!" Sam commended and smiled.

Jack smiled. "Thanks Sam," he replied. He started thinking about Lothar, and thought about how good it would be to hear her voice. "Sam, can you patch me into that ship the Enterprise?" he asked curious.

"Sir?" she asked curious.

"I'd like to leave a message with them, Major," he stated.

"I'll try, sir. Not sure if we'll be able to contact them, but I'll try," Sam replied. She typed in some information on her keyboard, and punched a few buttons. A few minutes later, all she could get was some static and a few bits and sounds of voices, but they weren't clear. "They must have their shields up sir. All I'm getting is a lot of static. I can hear a few voices, but it's not clear," she informed.

Jack thought for a moment. He just had to speak to Lothar. He wanted to make sure she was all right. "Sam, lets head back to the Prometheus. Maybe they can patch me in," he stated.

Sam noticed the gliders and some of the Goa'uld vessels shooting at them. "Sir, shouldn't we stay and help?" she asked.

"This is important, Sam. Just get us to the Prometheus," he ordered.

Sam nodded. "Right. We'll be there in a few minutes," she replied. They steered their glider away from the disabled Goa'uld ship, then headed toward the Prometheus. An hour later, Sam radioed to the mothership, that they were heading in. She noticed their fuel was getting low anyway.

As they neared the back of the ship, the cargo bay doors slowly opened, and Jack and Sam steered their glider ship into the vessel. They entered the ship, and slowly set the glider down on the ground. They shut off all their lights, and shut down the computers. Jack flipped a switch and soon the canopy opened up. A few men in the cargo bay rolled a metal staircase up to the ship so Sam and Jack could disembark from their ship. They carefully got out of the ship, then made their way down the stairs. Once they were on the ground, they went to a transporter room where they ringed up into a locker room. They changed out of their flight clothes, and into their uniforms, then headed to the bridge. An elevator took them to the bridge, and when they arrived, Jack walked up to Colonel Pendergast. "Colonel. I need to contact the Enterprise," he informed. His tone was urgent.

Pendergast looked at him with surprise but nodded as he noticed the tone in his voice. "All right. But I hope this is an emergency, Jack. Otherwise, I could get my stars for this," he stated serious. Jack nodded. "Don't worry. I'll take full responsibility, Colonel," he replied in earnest.

Pendergast nodded. He looked at his technician. "Lieutenant, patch us in to the Enterprise. Colonel O'Neill needs to contact them," he ordered. The technician nodded, and began punching a few buttons on the control panel. Pendergast briefly looked at Jack. "Just out of curiosity, may I ask why you need to contact them Colonel?" he asked.

Jack nodded. "It's personal, Colonel," he replied.

Pendergast nodded. "I see," he replied a bit reserved.

A few minutes later the technician turned to Pendergast. "We have communication with them sir. Go ahead," he informed.

Pendergast nodded. "Thank you Lieutenant," he replied. Soon the Enterprise appeared on the screen, and Pendergast announced himself. Jack turned to Pendergast. "Thanks," he replied. Pendergast nodded and smiled.

When the screen on the Enterprise turned to space view again, Lothar walked up to Picard. "Captain," she said, "I may have an idea, but I need your help with it," she said.

Picard nodded. "Riker, Worf, come with us." Again they entered the briefing room, where Lothar started to explain her plan. They listened carefully to her and nodded.

"Yes," Riker said. "That would work." He looked at Worf. "What do you think?"

The Klingon looked at Lothar. "She's no warrior," he said. "Maybe I should go with her, to protect her."

But Lothar shook her head. "No Worf, the only thing I need is a weapon." She looked at the other men in the room. "I assume you have some kind of hand weapons?" she asked.

Riker nodded. "We could give you one of the phasers, Worf can show you how to handle them. Right Worf?" But the Klingon only growled a bit in his usual way to show his disagreement. Riker on the other hand knew that Worf would help Lothar with the phaser.

They went back to the bridge, the moment a transmission from the Prometheus came in. "On screen!" Picard ordered.

Pendergast announced himself. "Captain Picard, this is Colonel Pendergast of the Prometheus. One of our officers, Colonel O'Neill wishes to speak with you," he informed.

At the back of the bridge Lothar lifted her head when she heard Jack's name. Riker noticed her reaction. "Do you know him?" he asked her.

She only nodded. "Captain, don't say anything about the plan for saving Earth," she warned Picard. Picard didn't answer, but Lothar knew he'd heard her. She trusted the man that he wouldn't do anything that could lead to the failure of her mission.

The captain stepped forward to the big screen.

As Captain Picard appeared on the screen, Jack hesitated a bit, and looked at Pendergast as if to ask where he should stand.

Pendergast gestured to the front of him. "Just stand there Jack. He can see you," he informed.

Jack nodded, and stepped in front of Pendergast's chair. He briefly smiled to Picard. "Captain Picard, hello. I'm Colonel Jack O'Neill of SG1. I was informed by my commander, that you have an Earth woman by the name of Lothar aboard your ship. Is it possible for me to speak to her?" he asked. Despite what Hammond had told him, he still wanted to make sure that she was all right.

"Nice to see you, Colonel O'Neill. To answer your question, yes, we have a woman with that name on our ship. May I ask why you want to talk to her?" Picard asked him.

Jack nodded. "Nice to see you too. And by the way, nice ship you have there. It's obvious that you have a good crew. You guys did some fancy shooting out there on those Goa'uld ships. Thanks!" he complimented. He thought about Picard's question. "It's rather personal, sir. Just making contact," he informed.

"Captain," Deanna said quietly. Picard gestured to Data to turn the audio off.

"What is it counselor?" he asked.

"Captain, I sense very strong emotions from the Colonel. And also from Lothar," she said and looked apologizing at Lothar.

"It is ok, Deanna," Lothar said. "The Colonel and I... we have wedding plans." Then she turned to the captain again. "Captain, is there a possibility that I can talk to Jack... more private?"

"Yes, in my office," he answered. "Number one, go with her, and make sure that she will get the transmission. Then return to the bridge."

"Aye captain," Riker answered and escorted Lothar to Picard's office. When they left the bridge, Picard signaled to turn on the audio again.

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End of chapter 35